🌱 The Secret World of Your Microbiome

Remember the Dr. Seuss book Horton Hears a Who? Where Horton goes a little nutty after discovering an entire world living on a speck of dust? That’s exactly how I imagine our microbiome — a whole Seussian universe of quirky characters living inside our gut, skin, and mouths.

Yep, despite our best 2020-level OCD cleaning habits, we’re crawling with bugs — and it’s fabulous. ✨ Like any bustling civilization, our microbiome is made up of average joes, quirky sidekicks, and a few troublemakers who all play a huge role in everything from our digestion to our mood.

For decades we focused on killing off bacteria, but science now shows us: the “good guys” are the real heroes of our immune system. Without them, we’re in trouble.

🧪 Meet Your Microbes (for real)

I now offer the GI-MAP stool test — one of the most advanced tools for discovering exactly who’s living in your personal “dust speck” and what they’re doing.

This lab doesn’t just identify the organisms in your gut — it maps out your microbial balance, detects pathogens, shows how your digestive + immune systems are functioning, and helps us create a highly targeted plan for your health.

Because honestly? You may not be as in control as you think (haha).

🦠 Why Your Microbes Matter

Your microbiome influences:
🌸 Allergies (food + seasonal)
🌸 Digestion (IBS, candida, Crohn’s, etc.)
🌸 Heart health + blood pressure
🌸 Blood sugar + diabetes
🌸 Mood + depression (hello gut-brain axis)
🌸 Autoimmune disease
🌸 Addiction pathways (!!)
🌸 Obesity + metabolism
🌸 Cancer risk + prevention
🌸 Arthritis + inflammation
🌸 Immune strength overall
🌸 Neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, MS, Parkinson’s)

Basically: your microbes are pulling a lot more strings than you think.

👶 From Birth Canal to Backyard

From the moment we’re born, bacteria are shaping our health. Babies pick up bugs from mom’s birth canal (yep, my daughter also made the “eww gross” face when I told her), then diversify through breastfeeding, pets, playing in dirt, and eating all the things.

Studies even show kids raised with dogs have fewer ear + respiratory infections. And kids raised in overly sterile homes? More allergies and sensitivities later.

So yeah… your slobbery labradoodle is probably doing your kid’s immune system a solid. 🐾

🌿 7 Ways to Supercharge Your Microbiome

1. 📊 Get tested with a GI-MAP stool test at the clinic.

2. 🐕 Snuggle a pet (or three).

3. 🧼 Wash hands instead of sanitizing when possible (ditch the antibacterial soaps).

4. 🥬 Eat local, organic, soil-rich veggies.

5. 🌸 Acupuncture: shown to encourage beneficial bacteria + boost mood via the gut-brain axis.

6. 💊 Take the right digestive enzymes + probiotics (I’ll help you pick what actually works).

7. 🥒 Load up on fermented + polyphenol-rich foods (sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, blueberries, cocoa, pomegranates, green tea, and yes — red wine 🍷).

✨ Bottom line: The more diverse your microbes, the healthier you are. If you want to peek into your personal microbial universe (and get targeted strategies to balance it), ask me about the GI-MAP stool test at your next visit.

Your gut bugs will thank you. 💚

Mountain dwellers are no strangers to arthritis, years of carving powder turns, climbing frozen waterfalls and shoveling out driveways can lead to the pesky and problematic accumulation of cold, dampness and wind in the joints which the Chinese refer to as Bi syndrome.  

Bi syndrome; It’s not just for the elderly anymore

Characterized by painful, stiff and swollen joints, Arthritis can be the result of prolonged cold exposure, scar tissue from old injuries, repetitive motion through work or play, underlying deficiencies, auto-immune issues or yes, the wear and tear of old age.  Whether you’ve been diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout or ankylosing spondylitis; your treatment plan will vary according to TCM (traditional Chinese Medicine.) 

Types of Bi Syndromes: 

• Wind Bi:  Characterized by pain that moves from joint to joint with an overall limitation of movement.  

• Damp Bi:  Pain and swelling in a fixed location, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness and numbness that is worse with cold/damp weather.  

• Cold Bi:  Aversion to cold, severe pain usually on one side of the body that limits movement.

• Heat Bi:  Severely painful joints that are hot to the touch, red and swollen. Usually occurs after chronic cases of any of the above types. 

• Phlegm Bi:  Is actually worse than it sounds (hard to believe with a name like that) this can be the result of any of the above Bi syndromes when left untreated.  Characterized by muscular  atrophy, swelling and deformity of the bones in the joints.  

Chinese Medicine to the rescue

While the steroids, opioids and NSAIDS you get from your doctor can take the edge off the pain, they do nothing to address the root cause of your arthritis woes.  At Durango Acupuncture Clinic, I use a combination of Acupuncture, cupping, Moxibustion heat therapy and Chinese herbs to not only reduce pain and discomfort but resolve the underlying factors that got your joints all up in a knot in the first place.  

5 Arthritis relieving Allstars:

1. Get Moxa-fied: When it comes to Bi syndrome, Moxibustion is key:  Moxa (a form of herbal heat therapy) has been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis.  Moxa helps to draw cold, dampness and phlegm from the bones, resulting in a significant reduction of pain and occurrence.  

2. Inject your pain away: Many of my patients have found lasting relief from Homeopathic injections like Traumeel and Zeel which help to reduce inflammation and pain while helping the cartilage to heal.  

3. De-inflame: I carry a number of anti-inflammatory and pain relieving Chinese herbal formulas, supplements and cbd’s. Magic ingredients to look out for when it comes to arthritis are: turmeric, frankincense, Boswellia, tang-kuei, aconite, cinnamon and myrrh as well and fish oil.

4. Salve it up: CBD salves and Chinese herbal compresses or linaments can provide lasting topical relief that is easy to control and use as needed. Many of you have already experienced the incredible pain relieving effects of the 2,500 mg cbd salve I carry in the office. Additionally, there are a number of Chinese herb patches that address different types of Bi syndromes; hot patches for cold types and cooling patches for hot types.

5. Collagen-ate: lubricate those joints by supplementing with a high quality, organic collagen or bone broth, you can find a simple recipe here or ask me for my favorite flavorless collagen powder suggestions.

Additionally, send those achy joints packing by reducing sugar, avoiding nightshade vegetables, losing weight and exercising regularly.

If this week of wintery weather has left your knees, knuckles, elbows, shoulders, low back or neck in the lurch, schedule yourself so we can get you back out on your skis, snowshoes or shovel before the powder melts away!

Feeling triggered?  Acupuncture can solve your Trigger Finger

If you’ve ever had your finger get stuck in a bent position and then snap straight you’ve experienced first hand, the annoying and painful condition known as Trigger finger.  

What is Trigger Finger?

When inflammation narrows the space within the sheath that surrounds the tendon of an affected finger it can result in the locking of that finger in a permanent or semi-permanently bent position.  Repetitive gripping actions through work or hobbies are often the culprit and this condition is seen more often in women or those with diabetes.

Symptoms

• Finger stiffness, especially first thing in the morning

• Popping or clicking with movement

• Tenderness or nodules in the palm at the base of the finger

• Finger catching or locking in bent position

• Finger locked in bent position and unable to straighten

Western Treatment

Your MD may recommend NSAIDs, splints, steroid injections or surgery.  All of which can further complicate the issue.   

Get Trigger Happy with Acupuncture

Acupuncture works surprisingly well for trigger finger, in fact, I’ve helped dozens of patients reduce or even resolve their issue completely.  By needling points around the affected area we are able to gently release the constriction or stagnation that’s blocking the smooth motion of the tendon.  Additionally, by injecting homeopathic Traumeel into the affected area, we can reduce inflammation and pain while promoting healing.  Moxibustion, a form of herbal heat therapy can be applied to the hand and finger as well to help increase blood flow and warm away arthritis. 

Five steps you can take right now to reduce your trigger finger:

1. Schedule an Acupuncture treatment

2. Start taking vitamin B6. B6 Pyridoxine has been shown in studies to significantly reduce trigger finger in many adults, especially those with swollen hands. Take the P-5-P version of B6 to avoid toxicity at 25-50 mgs daily.

3. Take magnesium: magnesium not only amplifies the effects of B6, but also encourages muscle relaxation and calms the nervous system.

4. Try some stretches; check out a few here.

5. Self massage the palm and any nodules along the finger joint.

🤚 Carpal Tunnel, Tennis Elbow & Other Wristy Business

In my Durango practice, I’ve seen carpal tunnel and tendonitis show up in just about everybody: rock climbers, mountain bikers, surgeons, tennis players, florists, pregnant mamas, ASL translators, even dental hygienists. Basically—if your hands are your livelihood (or your obsession), you’re at risk for inflamed, cranky tendons and ligaments.

The good news? Relief is absolutely possible. Acupuncture, guasha, and Traumeel injections are my MVPs for helping patients get back to doing what they love—without the ache.

✨ What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

If your fingers are tingling, your grip feels weak, or you’ve got pins-and-needles vibes in your hand, your median nerve is probably crying for help. Whether you’re pregnant, golfing, or scaling cliffs like Spider-Man, too much pressure on this nerve = numbness, weakness, and wrist pain that just won’t quit.

🎾 Epicondylitis: Not Just for Tennis Players

“Tennis Elbow” sounds cute, but the reality? Not so much. Epicondylitis is basically when your tendons throw a tantrum. Add in tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendon sheath) and you’ve got a recipe for pain that heals slower than watching paint dry.

But don’t toss your racket (or your golf club) into the nearest sand trap just yet—acupuncture can help speed up recovery and get you swinging, lifting, or typing again way faster.

🌟 Why Acupuncture Rocks for Wrist & Elbow Pain

A study out of Massachusetts General Hospital found that acupuncture not only reduced pain and numbness in Carpal Tunnel patients, but actually rewired the brain to process nerve signals better. Think of it as hitting “refresh” on your nervous system.

And when it comes to epicondylitis? Acupuncture is like the Alex Honnold of treatments: precise, effective, and kind of badass when it comes to increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation.

💉 + 🪨 Traumeel & Guasha = Dream Team

✨ Traumeel injections: A natural alternative to steroids, this homeopathic formula dials down inflammation and pain like magic.
✨ Guasha: The ancient art of “scraping” with a smooth stone (or even a soup spoon!) works wonders on stuck fascia, tension, and nerve pressure. Some of my climber patients even carry their guasha tool to the crag—because forearm love is real.

👉 Bottom line: If your hands are buzzing, aching, or holding you back, don’t just tough it out. Acupuncture, Traumeel, and guasha might just be your secret weapon to getting back in action.

What is Traumeel and why exactly are we injecting it?

Traumeel is a type of homeopathic solution comprised of plant botanicals and minerals used for decades to combat pain and inflammation. At Durango Acupuncture Clinic, I am able to deliver this special form of medicine directly into the affected muscle, joint, acu or trigger point. It works by reducing inflammation and pain and actually helps to accelerate healing as an alternative to steroid injections. For those with arthritis, nerve pain or spasms, Traumeel can be combined with other homeopathics including Zeel, Spascupreel and neuralgo-rheum. For intense pain, I combine Traumeel with lidocaine as well.

It’s easy to love Traumeel and I’ll tell you why:

1. Homeopathics are all natural, non-addictive and have zero side effects.

2. Traumeel has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects and accelerates healing.

3. Injections are relatively painless and very affordable.

4. These can be used alone or added onto any Acupuncture treatment.

5. Traumeel can treat lateral epicondylitis.

6. Benefit minor pain caused by arthritis.

7. Can reduce muscle spasms.

8. Heal torn muscles and ligaments

9. Benefit sprains.

10. Help with Pelvic pain.

11. Aid in the healing of hip pain.

12. Treat sports injuries.

13. Traumeel is excellent in aiding post surgical recovery.

14. Can accelerate the healing of bone fractures.

Injections, painless? You’re kidding, right?

It’s no wonder so many of us share a deep seated fear of needles, have you ever accompanied a child to a vaccination appointment?  I nearly fell out of my chair when I watched the nurse violently jab my daughter with a giant needle for the first time. I get it that kids are fidgety little creatures and that attempting to inject them with a full dose of anything is akin to giving your cat a bath on the impossible scale, but geez!  

Despite experiences, injections don’t have to hurt.

There is no jabbing at Durango Acupuncture Clinic, I use the tiniest needles I can get my hands on so that I can deliver an injection that is as smooth, slow and gentle as possible.  In fact, the most common comment I get after delivering a Traumeel injection is “was that it?” I’ve treated enough nurses to learn that they lovingly nickname the room where they give steroid injections, “the pain room”, i’m happy to say that there are absolutely no such rooms at this Clinic.  

How Therapeutic Injections can get you there faster

Injections skip the cumbersome and slow digestive process and deliver supplements more directly to the bloodstream where its benefits can have an intensified and more immediate effect.  Intramuscular injections are absorbed as much as 90% better than vitamins and minerals taken orally. Which is why I’m excited to offer an array of therapeutic injections in my practice.

A little something for everyone:

• Acute Pain: Homeopathic Traumeel, which is excellent for more acute muscle sprains and strains as well as sports injuries and as an alternative to cortisol injections.

• Chronic Pain: Homeopathic Zeel, spascupreel and neuralgo-rheum are perfect for arthritis, muscle spasms or nerve pain.

• Immune System: Homeopathic Engystol combined with b-vitamins are your natural answer to the flu shot.

• Fatigue: B12 as Methylcobalamin is the most easily assimilated form of B12 and is more effective when delivered intramuscularly than sublingually.

• Weight Loss: Lipostat, A unique blend of vitamins designed to help your liver break down and digest fats to enhance your diet and exercise efforts.